Admiralty

admiralty

n. concerning activities which occur at sea, including on small boats and ships innavigable bays. Admiralty law (maritime law) includes accidents and injuries at sea, maritime contracts and commerce, alleged violations of rules of the sea over shipping lanes and rights-of-way, and mutiny and other crimes on shipboard. Jurisdiction over all these matters rests in the Federal Courts, which do not use juries in admiralty cases. There are other special rules in processing maritime cases, which are often handled by admiralty law specialists. Lawyers appearing in admiralty cases are called "proctors." (See: maritime law)

ADMIRALTY. The name of a jurisdiction which takes cognizance of suits or
actions which arise in consequence of acts done upon or relating to the sea;
or, in other words, of all transactions and proceedings relative to commerce
and navigation, and to damages or injuries upon the sea. 2 Gall. R. 468. In
the great maritime nations of Europe, the term "admiralty jurisdiction,"
is, uniformly applied to courts exercising jurisdiction over maritime
contracts and concerns. It is as familiarly known among the jurists of
Scotland, France, Holland and Spain, as of England, and applied to their own
courts, possessing substantially the same jurisdiction as the English
Admiralty had in the reign of Edward III. Ibid., and the authorities there
cited; and see, also, Bac. Ab. Court of Admiralty; Merl. Repert. h.t.
Encyclopedie, h.t.; 1 Dall. 323.
2. The Constitution of the United States has delegated to the courts of
the national government cognizance "of all cases of admiralty and maritime
jurisdiction;" and the act of September 24, 1789, ch. 20 s. 9, has given the
district court" cognizance of all civil causes of admiralty and maritime
jurisdiction," including all seizures under laws of imposts, navigation or
trade of the United States, where the seizures are made on waters navigable
from the sea, by vessels of ten or more tons burden, within their respective
districts, as well as upon the high seas.
3. It is not within the plan of this work to enlarge upon this subject.

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